Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden created a mini-controversy on Thursday with some comments that seemed to pretty clearly diminish the impact of former teammate Chandler Parsons and imply that the Rockets would not miss the new Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter going forward.
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From the Philippine Star:
“Dwight (Howard) and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets,” said Harden. “The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team. We’ve lost some pieces and added some pieces. I think we’ll be fine next season.”
This led to Chandler Parsons responding to Harden first with a subtweet and then some direct words.
Think before you speak.
— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 24, 2014
Parsons on the Jim Rome Show (transcribed by the Houston Chronicle):
"“That’s a pretty ridiculous statement if he meant that. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Dallas. I’m ready for the next step. I’m ready for a bigger role and I’m ready for more leadership. If anyone should understand that, it should be James because he was in the same situation in Oklahoma City then he got his chance to come to Houston and shine.”"
Now, it appears Harden is trying to diffuse the situation on Twitter.
Duh! RT @kingshap: @JHarden13 you gonna miss Parsons?
— James Harden (@JHarden13) July 25, 2014
Of course! RT @dhud8: Just wondering @JHarden13 did you consider your self as a roll player on OKC?
— James Harden (@JHarden13) July 25, 2014
Another twitter user asked Harden why he made the comments about Parsons, to which the shooting guard responded, “What did I say?”
Whether these tweets are enough to end this feud remains to be seen.